CINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati baseball team collected a season-high 19 hits and scored a season-high 12 runs to open play at Marge Schott Stadium with a 12-9 win over Youngstown State University on Friday afternoon.

With the victory, UC is now 5-0 in home openers in the last five seasons, including two other wins over YSU in 2010 and 2011.

The Bearcats (3-9) found their offensive rhythm early over the Penguins (1-8) and never slowed down. Senior Matt Williams (Mason, Ohio/Cincinnati Hills Christian) and redshirt sophomore Will Drake (Fairfield, Ohio/Michigan) led the Bearcats with four hits apiece. Williams and sophomore Woody Wallace (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy) each drove in three runs while Williams, Drake and freshman Jake Richmond (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) each scored twice.

Williams’ four hits ties his career high while Drake set new career marks with four hits, two runs scored and two RBIs. Sophomore Ian Happ (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) tied his top mark with three hits and Richmond tallied career highs with two hits and two runs scored.

On the mound, junior Ryan Atkinson (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) earned the win to advance to 1-0 on the season after going 6.0 innings with only five hits and one run. The righty also tallied four strikeouts on the night.

Cincinnati balanced its scoring, putting up two runs in the first, second and fourth innings and adding three runs in both the seventh and eighth.

Happ kicked off the scoring when his two-out single in the first scored two runners. In the second inning, it was Williams’ turn to knock in two with a single that scored both Richmond and senior Ryan Quinn (Sparta, N.J./Sparta). Williams and Drake each recorded an RBI in the fourth inning with back-to-back hits to give their team a 6-0 lead.

Wallace tacked on two more runs in the seventh with a triple to deep center field that scored Happ and senior Justin Glass (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll). Richmond then used his second hit of the game to bring home Wallace and give UC a 9-1 lead.

The Bearcats scored their final three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning with Drake, Glass and Wallace each recording an RBI.

Youngstown State tried to mount a comeback, scoring three runs in the eighth inning off sophomore reliever Mike Conrad (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota East) and five more runs in the ninth off freshman Austin Woodby (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro) in just his second collegiate appearance. But with the bases loaded and two outs, Woodby induced a fly out to end the game, preserving the win for the Bearcats.

Cincinnati is back in action at Marge Schott Stadium on Saturday, March 8 with a 2 p.m. first pitch against the Penguins.